SA:T – Other issues

Seating

The only seating currently provided in the areas audited is at the bus stops on the east side of Home Street. We recommend that during detailed design of the cycle route, consideration is given to installing one or two seats on the West side of Home Street (there is no bus shelter on the west side, as protection from the weather for people waiting for a bus is provided by the Cameo entrance). This is likely to benefit the significant numbers of local elderly people in particular who use the street daily.#

Lighting and safety

No audits were carried out after dark but some concerns were raised as to the suitability of lighting. Tollcross is busy at night both as an interchange and as a nighttime destination in its own right. We suggest that consultations with local police officers may be useful to see if there are any specific improvements which might be introduced at the same time as the cycle route, for example any areas which are perceived as dark and threatening, based on public feedback.

Ambience, building quality, and cleanliness

There are several locations which are particularly unsightly and dirty and require intervention. Between 10 and 12 Lochrin Place, there is an outflow pipe at ground level discharging dirty water onto the pavement. Also along this (north) side, there are several buildings which have loose cables hanging onto the pavement (#15 and 17) This problem can also be observed on the East side of Home Street (eg at #9). There are weeds growing at the Tollcross clock island More generally, several shop fronts are unattractive and poor quality and there are few glimpses of original Victorian features. The north end of Home Street’s West side has a number of vacant empty retail units. All these issues clearly detract from the quality and attractiveness of the area and we would encourage business and council partners to work together to improve the ambience of the street.